#Atomoxetin

[monologe030]

Ein Jahr mit Atomoxetin-Medikation - Ein Erfahrungsbericht

Seit einem Jahr bekomme ich Atomoxetin "gegen" mein ADHS. Laut Rezept sollte ich täglich eigentlich ca. 35 mg einnehmen. Da eine Pille aber "nur" mit 10 mg bemessen ist und ich normalerweise nur eine Pille am Tag nehme, nehme ich meistens nur 10 mg am Tag ein. Also 25 mg weniger als empfohlen. Das ist auch so mit meinem Neurologen abgesprochen. Ich mache es so, weil eine Pille bei mir schon relativ schnell eine stimmungsverbessernde Wirkung erzeugt und ich nicht allzu abhängig von den Medikamenten werden möchte.

Manchmal, wenn ich etwas schwerere Tage habe, nehme ich noch eine zweite Pille, steigere die Dosis also auf 20 mg. Das kommt aber eher selten vor. Ich gehe lieber sparsam mit meinen Pillen um und versuche auch immer mal wieder, besonders an etwas entspannteren Tagen, ein oder zwei Tage ganz ohne Medikation zu leben und zu existieren.

Das klappt auch insgesamt ganz gut so.

Mein Körper hat sich mittlerweile daran gewöhnt. Am Anfang hatte ich besonders Nachts teilweise etwas Herzrasen, aber das ist "normal" mit dieser Medikation. Trotzdem muss ich da aufpassen, da mein Vater und meine ganze Familie väterlicherseits Herzprobleme hat. In letzter Zeit hatte ich das auch wieder ein bisschen, aber bei weitem nicht mehr so stark wie am Anfang und selbst am Anfang war das nicht wirklich intensiv.

Trotzdem ist gute Ernährung und Fitness für mich während der Medikation extrem wichtig geworden, um dem etwas entgegenzuwirken. Das klappt zwar nur so mäßig gut, aber ich versuche aktiv weiter dranzubleiben.

Was ich interessant an der Atomoxetin-Medikation finde, ist die Entstehungsgeschichte der Pille. Diese wurde nämlich ursprünglich gegen Depression entwickelt. Man hat dann aber gemerkt, dass sie gegen ADHS auch ganz gut hilft. Deshalb wird es jetzt gegen ADHS verschrieben.

Das verwirrt mich irgendwie etwas. Da bei mir diese Pille hauptsächlich meine Depression bekämpft, aber meine ADHS-Symptome dabei "nur" relativ gemäßigt lindert. Ich fühle mich also immer noch leicht gestresst, habe Konzentrationsprobleme und lasse mich leicht ablenken. Irgendwie vermute ich dahinter wieder irgendwelchen kapitalistischen Pharma-Bullshit, da die Pharma-Industrie eine der menschenfeindlichsten und profitgierigsten Industrien unserer modernen Gesellschaft geworden sind. Unter anderem.

Die psychische/seelische Wirkung der Pille ist dennoch wirklich erstaunlich. Kurz bevor ich meine ADHS-Diagnose und die MEdikation erhalten habe, ging es mir extrem schlecht. Konstante Suizidgedanken- und fantasien, konstante, regelmäßige, langanhaltende Heulkrämpfe.. Besonders diese Heulkrämpfe waren bisher etwas.. das ich so nicht kannte. Ich war so schrecklich traurig. Fast schon panisch. Auf konstanter Ebene.

Ich hab' einfach mal Haarausfall bekommen.. Fuck mann.. Ich hatte 'ne fucking Glatze und mein ganzer Scheiß Bart ist ausgefallen. Und dieses konstante Geweine.. Als Mann. Als türkischer Mann. Als kurdischer. Deutscher. Als Mensch. Diese Existenz. Diese allesumfassende Leere.. Das war einfach nur zuu krass, alles.

Und das ist nun alles weg. Als hätte mir die Pille diesen ganzen negativen Rattenschwanz an vollkommen überwältigenden Gedanken und Gefühlen einfach so - Schnipp-Schnapp - weggeschnitten. Wie mit so einer Schere. Wie auf Knopfdruck.

Die Wirkungsweise von Atomoxetin beschreibt das aber auch ganz gut: Soweit ich das verstanden habe, sorgt das Atomoxetin in meinem Gehirn dafür, dass die Rezeptoren für Noradrenalin (Stresshormon) geblockt werden und ich so weniger Stress empfinde. Menschen mit ADHS-haben einen konstant erhöhten Noradrenalin-Pegel, stehen als konstant unter zumindest leichtem Stress und sind zudem leichter reizbarer. Weil: Konstant gestresst. Das ist auch so, weil durch das Noradrenalin die Dopamin-Zufuhr gehemmt wird. Was blöd ist, weil Dopamin dafür sorgt, dass der Mensch "Lust" hat, motiviert ist, Interesse an Dingen zeigt.

Dopamin und Noradrenalin beeinflusst sich gegenseitig, also sehr stark. Zu viel Noradrenalin hemmt die Produktion von Dopamin und zu viel Dopamin hemmt die Produktion von Noradrenalin. Das sorgt wiederum dafür, dass man, wenn man glücklich oder aufgeregt ist, impulsiver denkt und handelt.

(Wie gesagt ich habe eigentlich keine Ahnung und mich nur sehr oberflächlich vor kurzer Zeit damit zum ersten Mal beschäftigt, also: Alle Angaben ohne Gewähr)

Ich bin zwar noch depressiv. Traurig. Über.. Sachen. Aber.. es ist irgendwie so.. als wäre die Tür, die in diesen dunklen Keller führt.. einfach abgeschlossen. Dieser Keller, in den ich immer wieder herabgestiegen bin und dann in diesem Labyrinth gelandet bin.. Und mich spiralenförmig immer tiefer gewühlt habe, bis ich nur noch von absoluter Dunkelheit umgeben war.. und da nicht mehr rauskam..

Ich geh einfach nicht mehr in den Keller. Manchmal steh ich vor der Tür. Und möchte sie aufmachen. Ich rüttel am Türknopf.. Aber es passiert nichts. Ich starre die Tür an. Ich will weinen. Schreien. Rennen. Schreiben. Malen. Wütend sein..

Aber da ist einfach nichts.

...

Und das ist das krasse an diesen Pillen..

Sie haben meine "Depression im Endstadium" einfach.. ausgelöscht..

Aber jetzt.. Ist da einfach nichts mehr.

Einfach.. Nichts. Verbrannte Erde. Auf der nichts wachsen kann. Eine leere Ebene.

Einfach.. Gar nichts. Keine Liebe. Kein Hass. Keine Freude. Keine Trauer.

Alles ist.. gleich. Gleich kakke. Gleich toll. Ich seh keinen Unterschied mehr. Mich interessiert auch nichts mehr.

Manchmal erwische ich mich, wie ich mich auf Sachen freue.. Aber das geht dann doch leider sehr schnell vorbei.

Das hat mit dem Dopamin zu tun.. Und dem Noradrenalin. Vermute ich.

...

Insgesamt bin ich aber trotzdem sehr glücklich darüber, dass ich die Pillen gefunden habe. Weil: Keine Hardcore-Depression und keine Heulkrämpfe mehr. War schon krass anstrengend.

Das mit dem Herzen muss ich aber im Blick behalten. Und das mit dieser "Gefühlslosigkeit". Ich bin halt ruhiger und etwas gefasster.. Aber auch immernoch sehr perspektiv- und mutlos. Aber: Nicht so schlimm wie davor.

Das muss ich mir immer wieder vor Augen halten. Dass ich dennoch, trotz allem, Fortschritte mache. Oder muss es mir zumindest einbilden.

Meine Arbeitslosigkeit macht mir sehr zu schaffen. Die Konflikte mit meinen Klientenkindern. Die politische Situation in Deutschland. In Türkei. Der Israel-Gaza Konflikt. Dieser gottverdammte Genozid der dort stattfindet. Alle die unschuldigen Kinder..

Ich finde keine Kraft mehr. Keine Stärke. Irgendwie muss ich sie mir irgendwo herholen.

...

Kämpfen, Bruder. Jeden Tag. Einfach weiterkämpfen. Spiele den Dreiköpfigen Affen. Augen zu, Mund zu, Ohren zu. Du hast es lange genug vermieden. Immer das Maul aufgemacht. Die Ohren gespitzt. Die Augen weit aufgerissen und hingeschaut. Damit muss Schluss sein. Aus Selbstschutz.

Einigeln. Sich selbst isolieren. Das Herz rein halten.

...

Letzter Gedanke: Letztendlich zeigt mir diese Pille einfach hart, wie sehr unsere Existenz, unser Denken, unsere Identität.. Unser "Sein".. Wie sehr das alles von unserer Gehirnchemie beeinflusst wird. Und wie wir darauf echt.. sehr wenig Einfluss haben.. Und dennoch alles tun müssen, um diese Gehirnchemie wenigstens ein wenig auf aktiver Ebene positiv beeinflussen zu können.

Deshalb habe ich gerade ein wenig die Wohnung aufgeräumt. Und gehe gleich unter die Dusche. Und "zwinge" mich dann zu ein wenig Yoga und Fitness. Wenigstens das tägliche Basisprogramm. Das muss schon sein.

Und dann? Mal weiterschauen. Alles Stück für Stück. Schritt für Schritt.

[adhsscan]

Nicht-stimulierende Medikamente werden in der Regel zum Einsatz, wenn Stimulanzien nicht verwendet werden können. Dies kann zum Beispiel aufgrund von Nebenwirkungen der Fall sein. Sie können auch in Betracht gezogen werden, wenn Stimulanzien nicht wirken.

Ein Medikament ohne Stimulanzien namens Strattera (Atomoxetin) ist manchmal eine gute Option für ein Kind, das ein Stimulans nicht verträgt. Manche Ärzte verschreiben Strattera auch zusammen mit einem Stimulans, so dass die Dosis des Stimulans so weit gesenkt werden kann, dass es keine Nebenwirkungen mehr verursacht. Zu den anderen Medikamenten, die zur Behandlung von ADHS eingesetzt werden, gehören die nicht-stimulierenden Wirkstoffe (Clonidin, Guanfacin und Viloxazin. Diese können bei Impulsivität, Hyperaktivität und Schlafstörungen wirksam sein.

[hussyknee]

I'm so fucking mad.

Yesterday I took 50mg of Atomoxetine (Strattera) out of sheer frustration instead of my prescribed 30mg which was doing nothing.

And then...I was like "get up" and I would get up. "Go find the electricity bill" and went and found the electricity bill. "Sort through all the mail and organise it" and just. Fucking. Did it. No getting stuck for half an hour and spiralling in anxiety because my executive commands weren't going through.

I went to the hospital and begged those fuckers to increase my dosage and spent half an hour trying to convince them that this is clearly my ADHD symptoms being exacerbated by anxiety that's fucking me up. They refused, said "Oh, but anyone would find it difficult to function in your situation", and increased my Venlafaxine (Effexor) instead, although that fuckin plateaus any further than the dosage I already take. My primary doc knows this, but I have better luck catching Bigfoot than her at NHSL anymore so I keep having to tussle with the junior dipshits.

Granted I seem to have overshot a bit, because I spent a while vibrating into the fifth dimension. Felt like I'd had six cups of coffee and needed to do three things at once. Perhaps I should have attempted 40mg first. But 50mg very much did catapult me out of this neverending rut.

WEEKS OF BEING TRAPPED BY THE STATIC IN MY BRAIN LIKE A ROOMBA ON A RUG. I couldn't get out of bed, eat on time, shower, make my bed, do my laundry, go to bed. The simplest fucking tasks like pushing a boulder uphill with a stick. Sitting on the bed doomscrolling and tearing the soles of my feet into strips so bloody that it hurt to walk. I don't pick at my feet anymore! Didn't even realize I hadn't until the end of yesterday. This is the first time I've stopped in months. I stock up on band-aids and keep them next to my bed because I usually bleed in about three places within a day. And I pick the scabs off the still-healing wounds. All stopped by 20mg more of Strattera!!!

In other medication fuckery, I stopped the anti-inflammatory meds I was taking for my back because 1) the total cost of my meds was getting insane and 2) I haven't been in pain the last two months. I looked up whether there were side effects for long-term use of NSAIDs and found that using any of them with Venlafaxine increases the chance of gastrointestinal bleeding?? The way I've been having all this time?? Was my rheumatologist ever gonna tell me?? I'm just so used to flares, so fogged in my head and so relatively pain-free that I didn't especially note it. Turns out– the only reason I haven't been in pain is because I was taking the fucking anti-inflammatories. Imagine that! So I can either take Venlafaxine (which I cherish like a child regardless of the wrath-of-God withdrawal any time I miss a single dose) or I can take NSAIDs??

*googles anti-inflammatory meds other than NSAIDs*

Internet: "eat pineapple idk. have you tried tumeric?"

I hate my life.

[weirdpersonifiedpills]

What animal you have in mind for Ritalin to be?

Ritalin has been a hard one for me since Concerta and Ritalin are technically the same medication, but I feel like they need separate characters. They’re names for the same medication, methylphenidate, but they’re different in doses and release. I switched from Concerta to Ritalin when I needed to up my dose since the next dose up of Concerta was too high for me. The stimulant meds are squirrels!

(Pardon the old art and older art here)

Ritalin came first name-wise. Methylphenidate was synthesized in 1944 in Germany, and the man who synthesized it named it after his wife, Rita (full name Marguerite). She used the drug for her low blood pressure. It was sold by Novartis, which was known as CIBA (Company for Chemical Industry Basel) at the time (Novartis came about in 1996 after two Swiss companies, Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz Laboratories). An extended release form of methylphenidate was approved by the FDA in 2000, known as Concerta, marketed by Alza Corporation. I almost feel like, lore wise, this would mean that the chemical got a second personification. This older medication, marketed with similar tactics to big names like Valium and Miltown (that being the “Mothers Little Helper” flavor of advertisement), has been used for so many different things. Ritalin was only approved for hyperactivity in 1961, and I love this ad from that time:

Very similar to what happened with Valium and the benzos, Ritalin became controversial despite the newfound blockbuster status thanks to treating hyperactivity. Both Ritalin and ADHD as a disorder were placed on the chopping block as people compared it to illegal amphetamines (we’ve all seen someone make that “well it’s basically meth they’re selling meth!” claim, it’s been around forever). Of course, Ritalin was being used a street drug as well. Ciba was against reclassifying Ritalin, worried about stigmatizing their patients. Ritalin ended up getting banned in its parent company’s home county of Sweden in the 1970s. Even back then, ADHD was criticized for being “overdiagnosed” and stimulants for being “overprescribed.” Jump to the 2000s and now here comes Concerta, a new, young, hip take on Ritalin, now with a fun new shape and a longer duration. Look at these pills!! Fun shape!!

Give it two years and now here comes Focalin, DEXmethylphenidate. Ritalin has a sibling, a twin. Just like Celexa and Lexapro (Citalopram and escitalopram), where Celexa is a racemic mixture of its two isomers and Lexapro is a pure formulation of the active isomer only (the s enantiomer), Ritalin is a racemic mixture of its two isomers, and Focalin is a pure formulation of the active isomer only (the d isomer). It was developed to try and reduce side effects and adverse drug interactions. Focalin ALSO got super fun shapes for its pills, going the benzo route and getting a letter shape, with a D for D-(dex)methylphenidate

How cute is that?? Hell, Novartis was even gonna name it Ritadex, but the FDA was like, “come on guys that’s too similar to the other one” and they went with Focalin instead (side note but I love how all of the ADHD drugs got funny names. Adderall, like ADD, what ADHD used to be called. Concerta, like concentrate. Focalin, like focus. Speaking of which, can we tell that MY Ritalin has worn off for the night?).

So imagine you’re Ritalin. You spent your life jumping from career to career, treating depression in the elderly, exhausted housewives, helping those locked away in asylums for YEARS, then transitioned to helping children with hyperactivity issues. You become a blockbuster, huge new responsibilities are placed on your shoulders, but you’re getting recognition finally. Then, people start to criticize you, your parent company, they want you rescheduled, but even when you’re made schedule III in 1970, and then schedule II in 1971, predictions continue to rise. The movement against you expands in the mid 1970s, spreading to the diagnosis you now mainly treat, ADHD, resulting in the American Academy of Pediatrics coming to your aid, basically saying “hey guys cool it, you can use non-medication therapies if you’d like, but there’s a place for stimulant drugs in this treatment.” 1980 rolls around, the DSM-III comes out, and ADD is finally included. The text revision in 1987 changes this to ADHD in 1987. Finally it seems like things are calming down, but then another company decides to basically release a new version of you ‘toy animatronic from FNAF’ style in 2000. Hello Concerta. Then in 2002, your parent company hops on this and now you’ve got a twin. Hello Focalin. On top of that, the first non-stimulant ADHD treatment is approved that same year, and here comes Strattera.

Basically, I think Ritalin is a tired older guy who, after half a century of turmoil, was suddenly handed like, multiple children he did not ask for. “Here’s your clone, here’s your twin, and heres Strattera they’re here too enjoy!!” A big part of the reason why I think Ritalin and Concerta need separate characters is because of how I’ve already characterized Concerta; it doesn’t fit what I’d wanna do with Ritalin. Concerta is nearly hyperactive herself, she’s fast and quick witted, headstrong and incredibly extroverted. Ritalin is the opposite, he’s calm and more serious, he grew up in a completely different time than Concerta would have. Ritalin is a boomer (technically he’d be part of the Silent Generation since he was 1944 but still) while Concerta, Focalin, and Strattera are Gen Z. I wouldn’t wanna do something like I did with Prozac and Sarafem, since Sarafem was literally just a recolor and rebrand of Prozac, nothing about the medication or its duration, function, or makeup was changed. I’ve struggled with the Ritalin/Concerta thing for a while but typing it out and reading it back it helping it come together more. Anyway, Ritalin would yell at Concerta and her friends to get off of his lawn probably.

[rootbeerqueer]

for anybody out there who takes strattera & also has pots, i found a study supporting my suspicion that norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors can make autonomic nervous system problems worse. defintely something to keep in mind when you’re adjusting dosages & deciding if you need to take any side effect medications to offset things. and speaking from experience here, it might be a situation where the dose you’re on is fine for a while, but then it gets to a point where side effects start to give you trouble & you need to consider the things i mentioned above

[mossy-covered-bones]

Ive been on atomoxetine (adhd meds) for almost a month and a half now, and i recently upped my dose, and i just noticed that? Im not hyperfixatinf?? Like ive spent the past fifteen minutes trying to put the Weirdness of how that soecifically has changed, how interacting w my interests and being creative is like. Rotated thirty three degrees from how it used to be and i just cant wrap my head around it.

You mean this is how people normally feel about the things they like???? They stay up late playing pokemon bc its fun but its not the only thing they can think about, and then a few days later instead of feeling drawn to it it feels like a fun idea, a choice instead of an impulse?????

They sit down and decide to write and spit out a few hundred words instead of either staring at a blinking cursor trying desperately to get their attention to latch onto something inspiring or knocking out a thousand plus words and not wanting to stop??????

I dont know how to work like this, this RELIABLY—ive never thought of doing somethinf and felt like i could just. Stand up and go do it immediately if i chose to follow through

[lt-sarai]

Unexpected side effect of adhd medication Atamoxatine: lack of appetite. I was hungry at noon, ate 4 scrambled eggs and 2 pieces of toast. Donated plasma. 5 hours after eggs and toast, had a single slice of Casey's pizza - not bc I was hungry but bc I had a headache and knew food would help after plassing (yes that's the verb that's used). 5 hours after that single slice of pizza, I might have a bowl of cereal before bed, but if I didn't eat I'd probably be fine.

Hey, maybe I'll lose weight if I don't ever eat XD

[dullahandyke]

Cactus update, it's getting red at the tips :D I am assuming this is a good thing. The garden centre had it in a sweltering conservatory and now it's in my bedroom window so maybe bcos of that ? I'm choosing to believe that its bcos she loves me

[ID: a close-up photo of a cactus, the tips of which are growing in red.]

[fidgetninja]

Med Log: Atomoxetine 6 months in

Medication: Atomoxetine, 40mg

Long-time-no-talk! Last time I posted I was back on atomoxetine. I've found it beneficial in some ways but it's become difficult in others (the same ways that led me to come off it two years ago).

Atomoxetine by itself seems to dampen and blunt my emotions over time. It didn't matter to me when first on them because I was so desperate to get my life back in order. I'm grateful I went on it this year, I'm doing a lot better, but I'm experiencing the following:

nausea - it's nearly constant no matter what I eat (heartburn specifically I've managed to mitigate with yoghurt / big meals before taking my dose)

emotional blunting - my partner and some close friends have commented I've lost my exuberance; I'm less enthusiastic about things, I'm less interested in people, and the weirdest thing I've noticed... I don't feel anything any more when listening to music; it just feels like noise and is mildly irritating

non-existent sex drive - I have zero interest any more, including I can't 'feel' my attraction to people any more. Some would welcome this or not mind this, but this really bothers me

This is so frustrating to me; atomoxetine does help me with being more organised, calmer, less stressed... but it feels like at the cost of blunting the good about me as well as the bad. It almost feels like turning the volume down on all of me, not just the parts of my ADHD that cause me issues.

Two years ago I hated this so came off it entirely, and then was discharged due to not being on medication (hence the fight to get back on meds). This time though, I'm trying stimulants again, which I will cover in my next post.

[catgirltoes]

Why is every single ADHD drug fucking garbage.

[disabled-dinos]

I have a medication related question :).

So I have my first ever meds, Atomoxetine, and they said to take it in the morning. and because I’m super socially awkward and nervous, I asked no follow up questions 😆

so. if you take Atomoxetine (Strattera), what time do you take it in the morning? Is it a super early thing? Of course I’m not asking for medical advice, just what any of you have trial and errored (or what your doctor told you because you were smarter than me and asked lmao). I know it’s different for everyone, just looking for a frame of reference.

thankssss <33

[heckaroniandcheese]

psychiatrist sent in ? all my meds wrong ? im firing her. two of the correct medications in the wrong dosages (one low one high) and prozac somehow? i dont take prozac.

however I said why not it's here and took a prozac this morning and it's got me feeling a little wonky but its doing the thing. im like. relaxed. I don't do that .

[mangom00n]

When I tried Strattera (atomoxetine), I was only on it for like a week because it made me so anxious and paranoid that I convinced myself I had a psychotic disorder. But I've heard really good reviews from other people so I think I'm just a weird case.

Now I'm on Qelbree (viloxazine) and tbh I can't tell if it's doing anything. I'm really bad at recognizing changes in my own behavior but I do know that I've been doing really well in school lately so maybe the new meds are to thank for that. No side effects that I've noticed.

Warning to those who are considering Qelbree: retail price is around $600. Goodrx only gets it down to about $300 so you better have damn good insurance and have that prior authorization ready to go.

On that note, I was able to get the first 2 bottles for around $25 each but today they said I needed prior authorization again or it would be $300. Maybe something changed?

[soupcat345]

fighting demons over here fr

had to revize and reinvent my artstyle cuz my executive function absolutely pummeted + i had to quit atomoxetine and i just dont have the energy to do it the old way anymore

[crowleaf]

Haven’t posted any meds updates in a while because I’m mostly fine. I think the depression spike has calmed down, as long as I stay occupied before bed. Reading is helping. So is going to bed earlier instead of staying up until I’m sad.

I’ll see my doctor Tuesday and see if he wants to taper my dose up yet or keep me where I am. And also see if I can smoke weed again because I miss it and I’m not gonna grow the plants I planned to grow this spring if I can’t even smoke them.

I’ve also noticed a significant decrease in my overall general anxiety. Things that used to have me on edge and worried don’t bother me as much anymore, which is kind of nice and a new feeling. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t fixating negatively on something. Still haven’t had that moment of my constant inner dialogue shutting the fuck up but it has gotten a little quieter.

[pandaspwnz]

I started Ritalin today and I don't know if it's because I simultaneously didn't take atomoxetine this morning (switched off them after 3 ish weeks because they were making me miserable) and thusly I'm not experiencing the adverse side effect of those, but I feel so much better already! I started feeling so much more alert and awake very soon after taking my Ritalin than I have in ages (like for a little while there I was not tired AT ALL which. does not happen to me. ever) and I immediately got up to do the dishes and have been engaging in a hobby with pretty solid focus since. And again I don't know how much of this is the addition of new meds vs removal of the other (which was causing extreme brain fog - trouble focusing, thinking, speaking, doing anything, as well as making me super irritable), but I feel so much better today than I have in almost a month. And I'm pretty sure the new meds are definitely having an effect but, and I'm trying not to get too excited just in case, hell yeah!!